ID-thieves ordered excavators for NOK 1.6 million

Norway Today

Vimeo

Under a false name and a fake website ordered identity thieves two excavators worth NOK 1.6 million . The fraud , however, was discovered before the delivery should occur.

Businessman Knut Meiner was on holiday in Spain when identity thieves struck and ordered the excavators from Ramirent in Oslo. The ID thieves had created a website that could appear to be owned by Meiner .

The machines were to be delivered Monday, but on Friday Ramirent thought something was wrong and contacted the 57- year-old in Marbella. He had simply not ordered any machines. Police were contacted and a review delivered on Sunday.

- I thought this was a practical joke from someone I know . To be notified of two large excavators that were ordered - it was an absolutely amazing phone to get, says Meiner to the newspaper Dagens Næringsliv .

District Manager for Ramirent in Oslo, Kjell Pettersen says that something similar happened with Ramirent in Bærum last year . But then the identity thief came in person and fetched an excavator and a wheel loader with a value of 1 million. He believes the excavators this time could quickly been transported to another country if they had been delivered at the address in Mysen .

Dagens Næringsliv got little explanatory answers to both of the phone numbers listed in the order. Mysen address where the two machines should be delivered , belongs to an unsuspecting 90 - year-old who says he certainly has not ordered any excavators.